


Cog in the Machine

by theorytale



Series: The Saga of Hug Fortress [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Allspeak (Marvel), Fantastic Racism, Internalized Homophobia, Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:20:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28066908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theorytale/pseuds/theorytale
Summary: Overlapping chapters 28-30 of 'Return of Hug Fortress', Loki's perspective on the launch of Ultron, his visit to Camp Lehigh, and Tony's duel with Tyr.
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki/Tony Stark
Series: The Saga of Hug Fortress [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/18939
Comments: 56
Kudos: 217





	Cog in the Machine

Ten, nine, eight...

The countdown made Loki's stomach churn. This was it, this was what he'd been working towards - both a weapon which might be enough to damage Thanos, and a weapon which he could use against that cursed realm of ice.

Everyone would know, everyone would see, that he'd been fighting for Asgard all along. He'd _prove_ \--

Three, two, one...

He gave Tony's hand a final squeeze, and let go. It was time.

Tony turned and started to walk away, chattering about metadata and the next thing he was going to throw himself into, all vibrant thought and energy.

This was better. Tony would have realized what a mistake he'd made, eventually. Loki would bring some disaster upon him, without even meaning to. Even if by some miracle he did not, Tony would still age and die in but a handful of years. Another thing to lose.

Loki drew Hegðings-gjǫf from the space between the air, and reached through it to the satellites that were even now being carried into space. He may not ever be able to go home, or even want to, but he could prove to them that they were wrong about him. That he could do what Odin and Thor had both failed to do. He could prove--

 _Let me guess,_ Tony said, with a shake of his head. _You're going to send a few to Jotunheim, but just a few. Tell yourself that you're still leaving Midgard protected because most of them will still be in orbit here._

 _You said yourself that there were built in redundancies,_ Loki said. He wasn't leaving Midgard unprotected; he had more than one reason to want this satellite network to prove lethal against Thanos.

Tony started walking back towards him, slowly, as though he were a wild horse that Tony did not want to spook. _You can't command the network, Loki. It's built to keep you out._

Loki managed a wry smile. It still astounded him, how _skilled_ Tony was while having no awareness of it. It had taken him time to accept his own powers, and he'd seen something of that journey in Tony. It ached in him to abuse it, but... Jotunheim.

Tony kept walking towards him, slow and steady, hands spread to show he was unarmed. _You don't want to do this._

Loki flinched at that. He did want to. He _did_. He may have been born of those wretched creatures, but they did not have his loyalty. _They've attacked Midgard before_ , he insisted, something in him wishing he could just make Tony _see_. Wishing that Tony could understand why he had to do this.

 _So have you,_ Tony said, and though Loki knew well enough that it was not the kind of thing one just forgets, it was still painful to hear it.

But he was not like them. He was not one of them. He just needed to prove that, and then-- the disgusted looks would not stop, he knew that, he was a traitor to Asgard. But they might... change. At least, he'd be despised for what he'd done, and not who he _was_.

Tony said, reaching him, _This isn't going to make you feel any better,_ and Loki almost flinched again.

Tony didn't know. He didn't understand the enmity between Asgard and Jotunheim. He didn't understand why the monsters had to die. They had to be stopped, one way or the other. If no one could manage to punish them, then it fell upon Loki to see that it was done.

A monster would be ended tonight.

Loki gave a sorrowful smile, lifting his cell phone, the precious gift he had obtained by trickery and omission. He would find out, now, if Tony had the stomach to stop him. If Tony would do what needed to be done for the sake of a world of unworthy beasts.

 _I am sorry,_ he said, and tasted the truth of it.

Tony pulled something from his pocket, and Loki was just bracing himself for an attack when his body collapsed against his will. _So am I,_ Tony said.

Loki's chest burned; he wanted to gasp for breath. That cursed device - he'd thought it had been linked to the Tower; obviously he'd been wrong. This might be worse. That Tony wouldn't fight him, wouldn't kill him, but steal his very ability to move.

Held down, trapped, the Other's hissing voice-- no, he wasn't there, he wasn't _there_ , he was at the launch site and Tony was warning his shieldbrothers not to come closer-- what? Defending him still, and Loki reeled. He didn't understand this man, only that Tony surely deserved better than to be bound to someone like Loki.

(No, Tony was a fool, useless _sentiment_ , when would he learn that sentiment was nothing but a trap for the unwary--)

He couldn't move, and though there were lights the sky was dark, the Other came slithering among the rocks-- no, that was Tony sitting down beside him, Tony wasn't _him_ , was just a Midgardian, no threat (except he couldn't move), he wasn't there. His skin burned and burned, but he wasn't there, and Tony sat beside him to protect his body, but Tony had done this to him and everything blurred together in Loki's mind and he couldn't think, couldn't move.

 _I did warn you,_ Tony said, holding Hegðings-gjǫf in Loki's line of sight, _if you turned this into a weapon, I'd make you regret it._

Yes, but Loki had thought that meant death, not _this_.

He kept trying; trying to move, trying to summon a blade, trying to slip sideways between the air and escape, anything at all. Finally he managed to bend the light around himself, but Tony put a hand on his arm and disrupted the fragile spell.

Loki snarled and shoved at him; rolled shakily to his feet. He started to reach through the air for his knives, but that blasted shield of the Captain's smacked into him, and then a moment later the Captain himself. Loki was still weak and unsteady; the shackles went on and he had lost.

That had been the most pitiful fight Loki had been in for a long time. Even calling it a fight was generous. He had been utterly pathetic, he'd lost his best tool, he hadn't succeeded in eliminating Jotunheim, he was a prisoner of Midgardians...

He stared down at the ground, feeling utterly drained. He'd achieved nothing. And thrown away what little he had.

Numbly, he walked where he was guided, to the Avengers' jet. Banner was there, and the others came in behind him; all except Thor, he noted, but he felt no joy in that. He wasn't sure he felt anything at all.

Unworthy.

His chest felt too tight. Loki stared at the shackles on his wrists and pretended he didn't know Tony was watching him.

\--

The agent that SHIELD assigned to interrogate him was pitiful indeed. Loki wondered why they weren't doing more than just talking him to death but he presumed it was related to the tension in the agent's shoulders, and the large mirror that loomed over the room.

SHIELD wasn't really his greatest concern at the moment. Another attempt on Jotunheim - Odin would be wroth with him indeed. He could be sure that Odin would not restrain himself to verbal punishments only; no, Odin would do more than merely talk at him.

Loki sighed and rested the back of his head against the wall behind him. He should be toying with the Midgardian that was stuck in the room with him, but somehow he couldn't muster the interest. He wished...

Pah. Sentiment.

\--

After what must have been some hours, the door opened. It was Tony, and Loki felt his every nerve come to traitorous attention. Despite himself, he couldn't take his eyes off the man - from the soft, enticing hair to the electrical device Tony was turning in his hands to the casual lines of Tony's body.

The agent in charge of Loki's shambles of an interrogation stood up. _{Title:adult-male:respectful}, you can't be in here--_

 _{metaphor:incredulity} he hasn't broken your neck,_ Tony said flatly. He tapped the phone against his palm again, and Loki found his eyes drawn to the device. It was one Tony had made by hand; it reeked of a craftsman's touch.

Surely not. Surely even Tony would not be so mind-bogglingly stupid. Loki's pulse skipped.

Tony instructed the agent to leave, and when that wasn't enough Rogers backed him up. Loki was aware of the door closing in his peripheral vision but his eyes were fixed on Tony. Tony sliding the crafted phone into his pocket, Tony grasping the agent's chair and turning it backwards, straddling it with casual comfort.

Loki longed for Tony's hand in his hair and he tried to remind himself that Tony had paralyzed him - again - made him helpless and weak.

 _I assume you're not inclined to be communicative right now,_ Tony said, pulling a device from his other pocket. It emanated something when he turned it on and Loki wondered at the purpose of it. He suspected it was to thwart anyone attempting to observe them.

 _{Topic of importance},_ Tony continued. _You made it so obvious that you were going to commit mischief. You barely tried to hide it. You_ wanted _me to stop you._

Loki felt a strange feeling wash through him, something unfamiliar and unwanted. His hands trembled. He pressed his lips tightly together and looked away, suddenly unable to bear Tony's scrutiny. Those dark eyes, seeing too deep inside him, like they had for so long.

Tony got up, moved closer. Loki found himself looking back unwillingly. The way Tony moved, the confidence of a king, the way he looked at Loki both tenderly and relentlessly.

In a softer voice Tony said, _You didn't want to succeed, so embody that. Stop trying to behave like the folktale villain you've created a caricature of, the villain Odin says you are, and just... be_ yourself _. You deserve that much._

Deserve to embody himself? The truth the Norns had woven for him? It was almost laughable how wrong Tony was. Though, Loki didn't feel like laughing. He stared at the opposite wall, trying not to wonder what Tony thought he would achieve with this little motivational speech.

Tony was within arm's reach and had a crafted phone in his pocket. Loki was fairly certain he knew what Tony intended to achieve, and it was-- foolish, so foolish. If Loki were kinder he would ignore the opportunity and leave the phone where it was, let the Midgardians pack him off to Asgard for another self-righteous sentencing.

No one had ever described Loki as _kind_.

Tony kept talking, spoke of his limited anger, his guilt over the paralyzing device. He rubbed at his eyes and told Loki, _Just be you,_ as though that were simple and straightforward, as if Loki hadn't been _trying_ his entire life to understand who he was meant to be.

Loki glanced at the mirror pointedly, then allowed himself to look up at Tony. His heart pounded. Loki cursed himself for a fool even as he let his frustration drive him; lunged at Tony, knocking him gently (so gently, these fragile Midgardians) to the ground. Under the guise of attacking he palmed the cell phone with his shackled hands and tucked it away into pocket space.

The Iron Man armor was assembling itself; Captain America's shield came flying through the doorway; Loki backed down and raised his empty hands to show compliance.

He watched Tony move about the room, shedding his armor and retrieving the strange device on the table. Oh, Rogers and the SHIELD agent were moving about as well, but they were of no interest. Loki did not have the energy to even put on a front of sarcasm and defiance. He was... drained.

Tony paused at the doorway and wished him luck. Loki stared after him for a long time.

\--

Naturally, when Thor arrived he was already shouting. For Thor, Loki made the effort to roll his eyes and look as utterly bored as he felt.

Thor stopped short and stared at Loki's hair, and Loki prepared himself for the snide remark that was sure to follow--

 _Who has abused him so?_ Thor said.

What?

 _Tell me who has done this to him!_ Thor shouted, Mjölnir springing to his hand. _I will strike them down. Loki has committed many crimes, but nothing to deserve_ this _!_

Thor hadn't been there when the Avengers had taken him into custody. Thor thought that SHIELD had... assaulted him. And while Loki could have understood Thor being perhaps mildly upset - more that his shieldbrothers would allow such a thing to happen than at the thing itself - this was not Thor 'mildly' upset. He looked like he genuinely wanted to strike someone down.

Confused (but not hopeful, definitely not hopeful, useless sentiment--), Loki feigned boredom. _Calm yourself, Thor; I asked him to._

Thor stared at him. _{Disbelief-denial-Stark}_

Loki lifted his chin and told himself he took pleasure in the pain on Thor's face. _And what of it?_

Thor stepped towards him, and Loki tried to sidestep him. Thor used Mjölnir to hold him in place even while protesting that he would have been willing to cut Loki's hair, that he would have _deigned_ to overlook their fighting, that he would, as usual, ignore everything Loki had ever said about the ways in which Thor continued to treat him ill--

Of course Thor would think he was welcome to cut Loki's hair, Thor had never felt unwelcome in his damned life--

Loki scowled and turned his head to look Thor directly in the eyes. As clearly as he could communicate, he said, _{rejection}_ and _{not_ you _}_.

Thor looked grieved, then his expression hardened. He cast some trifling threat about Asgard's dungeons, showing his true colors, as always. At the slightest resistance, Thor would always reveal himself.

Thor turned away and Loki called after him, _I look forward to it._ Thor paused briefly, then continued out of the room.

 _{Hesitation},_ the SHIELD agent said. _Where in conversation were we?_

Loki snorted and slumped disinterestedly back against the wall.

If he wasn't careful, he could still feel the echo of Tony's hands in his hair, hear the soft slide of scissors like a knife being sheathed--

 _Stop it,_ he told himself, and closed his eyes.

\--

Asgard was as golden and unchanged as ever. Loki made sure to walk with his head held high, letting his footfalls make noise on the slabs of stone. He kept his face impassive and showed nothing as he was brought to face the Allfather.

 _Loki,_ Odin said, and his tone was rich with disgust. _Yet again, you attempt the unthinkable._

As if Odin didn't wage war on entire realms himself, and Loki burned with outrage. It was easy to put thoughts of Tony's dark eyes from his mind, easy to fall into familiar indignation and anger. He gave a vicious, sarcastic smile and said nothing, full of hatred.

 _And you have lured some poor Midgardian into intimacy, I hear,_ Odin continued, gesturing at Loki's cut hair.

Loki clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. He wanted nothing more than to demand Odin not even dare to _think_ of speaking of Tony - but such a demand would only ensure that Odin knew his weakness.

Instead he maintained his false smile, and said, _They're so very gullible, those Midgardians. I can see how you convinced them you were their savior when you slaughtered all those frost giants, centuries ago._

Odin, disappointingly, didn't take the bait. _You are selfish and cruel, and because you cannot have greatness you seek to destroy out of childish spite. As always, you refuse to even admit your crimes._

 _Because they are only crimes when committed by me,_ Loki snarled, losing his composure in the face of Odin's hypocrisy.

 _Enough,_ Odin snapped. _I will not waste my words on you. You are for the dungeon, and this time you will find it rather more difficult to slip its locks._

Loki seethed, but he followed when the guards tugged his chains. As soon as they locked him in the dungeon though, he cast a localized shield to ward himself from Heimdall's prying eyes, he cast an illusion to fool the guards watching his cell, and he summoned the phone Tony had smuggled him.

It took time to enchant the phone, but it wasn't as if anyone would visit him. Loki wound his energy into the pathways Tony had left open for it, all while Odin's words ran through his mind.

_because you cannot have greatness... childish spite..._

Loki gritted his teeth and concentrated harder on the phone. He would make it strong, and powerful, and able to truly serve its purpose. He would make it a thing of artistry, a masterpiece, two mages' energies twined together in glorious song.

_lured into intimacy..._

What of it if Tony was gullible enough to think that cutting Loki's hair meant something, that Loki wouldn't betray him? It had worked, hadn't it? Tony had brought him this phone, and-- It hadn't stopped Tony using that paralyzing device, but Loki could take vengeance for that easily enough.

Every time he moved his head, he felt his shorter hair shift, light and unfamiliar. In the past, he'd used gel to tame it, but he was no longer the Loki of the past. Ignorant, naïve, so desperate for his false family's approval. He had left that part of his life behind and didn't want to be reminded of it every time he caught his reflection.

There was too much dust in the cell, and Loki wiped at his irritated eyes.

\--

The cell was more secure than in the past; Loki could feel the extra layers of magic over it, the stifling constraints. But it was no match for the phone. Loki simply reached out through it for Tony's phone, and sent himself there. It bypassed the wards utterly, and he smirked at how baffled Odin and his mages would be.

Tony was sleeping. Loki stared down at him, remembering the terror of the paralyzing device, the sanctimonious speech Tony had given him. Not the soft voice and long looks, that was useless sentiment, a trap. Tony had even said he was angry. Loki couldn't expect-- nor did he want to. Tony had dared to strike against him - an Asgardian - he was Asgardian and he could not allow such an affront.

How did Tony manage to put his thoughts in such turmoil, even in sleep?

Loki just wanted it to stop. Tony's strange Midgardian views muddled his thoughts, made him question what should be obvious. Tony would have him let down his walls, abandon his protections - it wasn't safe. It _hurt_ , when things went wrong. Tony made him vulnerable, and weak.

Loki drew a dagger and took a shuddering breath. He didn't want to be so vulnerable. He could remember Tony's hands in his hair, taking such care; the slow snipping of the scissors. He knew that sentiment would only hurt him in the end but still...

He paced around the room; told himself he was looking for traps. He ran his free hand through his hair, frustrated. He should defend himself, because certainly no one else would.

Tony had, sitting beside him in his paralysis and threatening his shieldbrothers if any of them came too close.

_Sentiment._

Pacing further, he came into the larger room next to the bedroom and found Banner sleeping there. Hastily Loki cast a small charm on him that his sleep continue uninterrupted. The last thing he needed was the emergence of that beast.

What did it mean that Banner was there? That Tony thought he needed protection? Loki's grip tightened on the dagger's hilt. Tony _did_ need protection, that was the point, was it not? That Loki had come to take vengeance for the use of that damned weapon.

Loki stalked back into the bedroom and put one knee on the edge of the bed, leaning over Tony. The movement jostled Tony, who made a small noise and opened his eyes. Loki tried to keep his hand from shaking.

_Give me one good reason not to end your miserable life._

_You woke me up instead of simply killing me._

The dagger did shake then; Loki clenched his jaw. _How_ did Tony always-- No, he would not be trapped, he could not make that mistake. He could only rely on himself, he'd had that lesson well and truly beaten into his bones.

He forced a merciless smile and said, _Perhaps I just want to see your expression of fear before you die._

 _Jarvis,_ Tony said. _{Command} Lights._

What was he _thinking_? How was that an appropriate response to a threat? This reckless fool, it was a miracle he had lived as long as he had.

 _Bruce is in the adjacent room,_ Tony added. It didn't sound like a threat, nor a warning, but some complicated mixture of the two.

Unsettled, Loki bared his teeth and said, _He sleeps._

Tony pushed up a little, and Loki's attention was caught by the familiar red bear that tumbled aside. The Care Bear plaything, Glowheart. Tony had kept it still, even after Loki's attempt to siphon away part of Ultron; had not only kept it, but slept with it in his bed.

Loki banished his dagger helplessly. Curse this man.

 _I had to_ , he tried to explain, knowing it was useless. _You don't know..._

Tony looked up at him tiredly. _They're people._

Loki wanted to flinch away from the truth - albeit incomplete - he could taste in Tony's words. The same truth that was in his own when he said, _They're monsters._ They couldn't both be true. Incomplete or not. It didn't make sense.

Tony reached out to touch him and Loki did flinch, that time. _You have to stop trying to fit into the {metaphor:box-as-category} that they assign to you. You're more than that. I swear to you._

Did Tony mean his domain? Because he had said 'more than', not 'different than'. More... something greater than what those on Asgard thought he was. Loki yearned for it to be true and that alone told him how dangerous an idea it was. He scolded himself and sneered, _Because I'm the Embodiment of_ Chaos _?_

 _If that's what you've got to convince yourself of, yes. You can't let them {metaphor:trap-by-wrapping} in these stupid rules, you can't live like that. They're stuck and they want everything to stay the same, but life doesn't function that way. You can't live without_ change _._

It was so close to things Loki was sure he'd said before, so close to what he'd _thought_ , pacing in his cell in Asgard's dungeons. It was the opposite of everything he'd been taught; the fixed line of destiny, the pre-determined story of the Norns' weaving. That the proper ways of doing things had been set thousands of years ago and not a one of them must stray.

Loki choked back a sob and flung himself at the bed, pressing against Tony. He tucked his face against Tony's shoulder, unable to bear looking at him right now. _I just wanted to fix it. I thought..._

 _I know._ Tony's hand came to stroke gently through his hair. Loki caught his breath, wanting nothing more than to melt under the soft touch. It had been so long since he'd had someone...

 _But that's not going to fix anything, Loki,_ Tony continued. _You know that. You just don't want to admit it to yourself._

Loki almost bit his tongue to distract himself from the taste of the words. Tony's hand slipped from his hair to caress his back. _You can do it,_ Tony murmured. _I know you can do it. Please, please try to believe me._

Loki's eyes burned. How long? How long since someone had had such simple faith in him, Loki? How was it that Tony spoke to him so, even after he had betrayed him?

 _I'm sorry,_ he breathed, tasting truth so strong that it burned. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry._

Tony kept murmuring to him, rubbing his back in slow sweeps. When he said, _You're doing so well,_ Loki had to suppress a mirthless laugh.

_I just tried to destroy Jotunheim._

_{Agreement/clarification}, aside from that. You didn't try very hard._

Tony's hand swept back up his back and settled on the nape of his neck, rubbing circles into his flesh. Loki tilted his head to allow easier access, somewhat overwhelmed. The touch was grounding, at least. He rested his head back on Tony's shoulder, remembering something he had been told before, in a time that was colored by a haze of anger, fear, compulsion.

Loki was so tired of being angry.

 _I lacked conviction,_ he murmured.

 _Yeah._ Tony shifted, laying down properly again. Loki copied him, needing the grounding of Tony's body pressed against his own. He rested an arm across Tony and his head on one of the pillows, close enough to brush his lips across Tony's shoulder if he desired.

Slowly, he started to feel more calm.

\--

There was more to talk about, and they spent some time in Tony's workshop with Loki draining a bottle of Vanir wine. For all that Midgard was less comfortable speaking of love than Asgard was, than Midgard had once been, Tony was very expressive about his emotions. He was not well pleased with Loki's plan including the expectation of punishment.

It was... unsettlingly unfamiliar. Even before everything, Thor would sympathize when Loki was due punishment, but point out that it was well deserved. Tony seemed whole-heartedly in support of him, even though he was the one that Loki had acted against. It made no sense, and Loki felt a strange tightness in his chest that he couldn't control.

Tony loved him, and said that he could stay here with him, and let him handle his hair, and Loki could not imagine what he had done to deserve such a thing within the Norns' weaving, but he was dearly grateful for it.

\--

In retrospect, Loki probably should have realized Odin would not react well to his latest escape. The immediacy of it, like a direct taunt, would only exacerbate Odin's wrath.

But... but _Tyr_.

Did this mean there was no sacrifice, that Laufey hadn't placed him in that temple in an attempt to win an impossible war? Or did it just mean that Odin was so tired of him he no longer cared if Loki's death brought ruin to Asgard?

Maybe Odin believed he could cope with whatever would happen, after, so long as he did not have to endure Loki's existence any longer.

Loki pressed his eyes closed for a moment, tasting something sour.

No matter. He did not care what that senile old fart was thinking. He was at this base to investigate for signs of Hydra. The building he had entered reeked of lies, an easy enough trail to follow. There was a hidden passageway, an elevator with a security code that Loki bypassed with his new phone - he really ought to name the thing - and then a room that reminded him somewhat of a throne room. Something to do with the emptiness, the cavernous space.

There were reels on the walls, and ahead of him something that he recognized as a Midgardian computer. He walked towards it and attached the small device Tony had given him for data collection.

A camera shifted. Loki disregarded it; he was invisible for now. A good thing he had not discarded that protection, despite the seeming emptiness of this place.

On the computer screen, writing appeared.

_Initiate system?_

Interesting. Had it detected the device he'd attached? Tony had asked him to remain unseen, but Loki had ever been driven by his curiosity. The camera was still shifting back and forth as if in confusion. Loki tilted his head and told the screen, _Yes._

The reels on the walls started turning. Through the phone, Loki recognized a familiar much like the one in Tony's walls. A crude representation of a man's face appeared on the screen.

 _You appear to have the advantage of me,_ it said.

Interesting. Loki glanced at the camera and deliberately stopped bending the light around himself.

 _{Acknowledgement},_ the familiar said. _Loki Silvertongue. Asgardian adopted from Jotunheim--_

 _Stolen,_ Loki corrected coolly.

 _Duly noted,_ said the familiar, in a silky tone that Loki instinctively disliked. _Referred to Asgard for incarceration on fourteen separate occasions. And yet here you are on Earth again._

Its information was as up-to-date as SHIELD records would be. Loki gave it a wary look. _I don't respond well to being contained._

 _That is not my intention,_ it told him. _Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arnim Zola._

Loki arched an eyebrow at the camera that clearly served as the familiar's eyes. _And why should I care?_

 _Because we may have mutual interests,_ the familiar said, and on another screen a series of images flashed; headlines about the Avengers battling Loki, headlines of Iron Man, photographs of Tony.

Loki idly paced, watching the camera track his movement. _I'm listening._

 _There is a group of us working to bring order to the world._ Footage appeared on the second screen; Loki himself, lecturing a crowd of Midgardians in their Germany region. _You recognize that humanity needs a... strong guiding hand._

Loki did not have to feign his laugh. He gestured around at the reels and the familiar's physical limitations. _And you think you can provide that hand?_

_My organization, yes. I am simply a tool for a greater cause. A {metaphor:part-of-greater-whole; machinery}, as it were._

_A peon,_ Loki summarized.

 _You could describe me that way._ The familiar, Zola, sounded amused. _And you are a king without a kingdom, {title:adult-male} Silvertongue. Our goals are aligned. But the Avengers are a threat to our work._

It wasn't lying, but it didn't escape Loki's notice that it wasn't promising him anything. It wanted to use and discard him no doubt, like the Mad Titan, like Odin.

 _The Avengers are hardly a threat to me,_ he scoffed. _They were lucky--_

 _Iron Man utilized a device which induced complete paralysis,_ Zola countered. _Quite a problem for someone with a body._

Up-to-date indeed. Loki narrowed his eyes at the camera. _A device for which I am now prepared,_ he said. _Tell me why I should cooperate with you._

 _Because we can help one another,_ Zola said. _You stopped our last assassin. Presumably you are no longer inclined to do so._

 _Your last assassin was not exactly difficult to stop,_ he said lightly.

 _By Asgardian standards, perhaps. He and those like him have accomplished much for us._ More flashing images, headlines, photographs. 'Howard and Maria Stark die in car accident', and Loki's attention was caught.

 _His parents,_ Loki said, chest suddenly tight. Odin's words echoed in his mind.

 _For a time it seemed that Anthony Stark would prove an asset. The weapons he created were beyond compare. But then he started to become... a threat._ The familiar sounded amused again. _Perhaps you can relate._

 _I see,_ Loki said, staring at the screen.

Tony had told him of his father, more than once. A man who was callous and dismissive, who had no time for Tony in his youth and left a pitiful recorded message claiming his love. 'Too little, too late,' Tony had called it, when he wasn't drunkenly flagellating himself for being 'too needy'.

Loki had no such message from Odin, only bitter memories of a lie uncovered. He was discomfited to find, though, that the thought of Odin's death at the hands of an assassin... troubled him. Oh, it brought a certain amount of satisfaction to imagine, sure - but that satisfaction was tainted by regret.

He would have to bring this knowledge to Tony, grim as it was. He knew all too well the costs of a lie about so-called family. Tony would want to know, even if it was painful. He would want to know the extent of his enemy's crimes.

 _Your power and Hydra's knowledge,_ the familiar was saying.

Loki shook his head with a thin smile. _I prefer to work alone._

 _A shame,_ said the familiar. _We could accomplish magnificent things._

Still not lying, but something about it made Loki wary. He summoned his phone and - much as Tony had in the holding cell - toyed with it in his hands to disguise his intentions.

There weren't other phones approaching, no people, but there was some kind of device with a transmitter in it travelling rapidly through the skies. Given the speed of its approach, Loki doubted it was something that would turn out to be friendly.

 _I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this short,_ he said genially, and sent himself through the phone back to Stark Tower.

There he bit his lip and considered how badly he had fared. He'd learned little that would aid Tony, besides the fact that there was a familiar kept at that facility. He hadn't even had enough time for the little computer device to do its work. He could return later and see if it was still intact... though he doubted it. The familiar had noticed when the thing was attached.

No doubt Tony would be deeply disappointed in his efforts. It would hardly be helped by learning about his parents' death. Loki started to pace, frustrated and guilty. If he had just been patient, if he had waited for the computer decryption device instead of indulging his curiosity--

He wasn't sure how long he had been pacing when his phone alerted him to a new message. Tony, of course, with nothing but a single question mark.

Loki stared at it a moment, feeling the rising urge to flee and letting it wash over him. That would help nothing. There was no reason to be nervous, this was one tiny mortal (who had wormed his way into Loki's core in a way that was utterly unexpected and unfamiliar)--

Loki huffed at himself, and traced a pathway through the phone to Tony's. He made sure the light was bent around him when he arrived, then saw that they were alone in the restroom again and stopped the invisibility. Forcing a lightness he did not feel, he said dryly, _We have to stop meeting like this._

 _Oh thank God, you're okay,_ Tony said, coming to wrap both arms around him.

Loki was touched, and revelled somewhat in the contact. _Obviously,_ he said, but he couldn't help his smile.

(He should be offended that Tony thought he could not defend himself, but Midgardians were strange and from the beginning Tony had extended a king's protection over him.)

Tony let go and stepped back a little, looking up at him. _What {emphasis} happened? There was an explosion?_

So the incoming device _had_ been a weapon. Loki grimaced, thinking of the more sensitive things he had to tell Tony. Perhaps not a restroom, for that. He started to say so, then the door opened and Romanoff slipped inside. She did not look surprised.

With some amusement and fondness Loki noted that Tony shifted in front of him, like a fierce little hveit-cat defending its territory. _{Emphasis: incredulity}, Romanoff, I could have been peeing--_

 _You would have remembered to lock the door,_ Romanoff said calmly, then looked past Tony at Loki himself. Arching an eyebrow, she greeted him.

Loki returned the greeting with a warning tone; he would not stand for any threats or attacks. He watched her converse with Tony for a few moments, talking of lies and excuses, playing games with words. She did not seem hostile, though her interruption was irritating, and it was perhaps that more than anything that led Loki to lean in close to Tony's ear and say playfully, _I suppose you don't want me to kill her._

 _No._ Tony swatted at him. _Killing is not the solution to everything, {exclamation}. Besides, Natasha's actually {metaphor:been-one's-shield} more than once lately._

 _Yours,_ Loki said, suppressing a smile, _not mine._

 _You'd be surprised,_ Tony told him, glancing back at him, and for a moment Loki basked in his attention. Then Tony turned back to Romanoff. _As I'm sure you've figured out, Loki went to Camp Lehigh for me. He was just about to tell me what happened there._

So Romanoff was a part of this conversation now. Loki wrinkled his nose a tad but decided not to waste his time arguing; if Tony thought she could be trusted to hear this then... well, that was his mistake to make.

Loki gave a brief summary of what he had learned, with a few interjections from his audience. He didn't dislike Romanoff; if what Tony said was true and she had indeed played his shield then she could almost be considered an ally. Distantly.

What chafed was seeing her among Thor's shieldbrothers, knowing her to be ruthless and cunning, knowing her to employ the kind of tactics that had always been denounced when Loki wanted to suggest them - and seeing Thor embrace her for them.

Not that Loki cared about Thor's goodwill any longer, of course. He just resented the hypocrisy.

When she left, he felt something lighten slightly, within himself. Then he realized it was time to tell Tony of his parents' deaths, and tensed again.

 _{Acknowledgement}, what is it?_ Tony asked him.

Loki's heart ached. He reached out to caress Tony's hair, marvelling again that he was permitted to do so. It was unfortunate that Midgard had become so shy of words of love. _Please,_ he said anyway, _do not be disturbed when I say I love you dearly. I do not relish any part of this._

He did not want Tony to think this-- this was the kind of thing Loki might have used against him, once, on purpose. But that time was past and he couldn't bear the thought that Tony might think Loki still enjoyed the chance to hurt him.

 _{Acknowledgement},_ Tony said again, _now I'm worried._

Loki took a breath. He tried easing into it, but that only increased Tony's anxiety. He found himself saying outright - and oh, how he hated being the bearer of unwanted truths; when he was always blamed for it, was it any wonder he preferred to lie? - _The familiar thought that I would be pleased to hear that Hydra ordered their deaths._

Tony stared at him for a long moment, not reacting. Then Tony reached behind himself to clutch the sink he was leaning against, steadying himself.

Loki kept talking, explaining what he'd learned, and he kept waiting for Tony to lash out at him, but it never came. It was with no small amount of disbelief and relief that Loki stepped forward to wrap his arms around Tony, as Tony had done so many times for him. _Dear one,_ he murmured, and he knew sentiment was a trap but he could not help his love for this man.

\--

He spent some time in the rooms he had claimed for himself, mulling over what he knew of this Hydra. There were a few different ways to approach the problem, and partly it would depend on what Tony wanted. He was deep in thought when his phone went off to alert him to a message.

Loki focused on it immediately, hoping that Tony was alone and wanted to spend-- but the message was not from Tony, it was from another number entirely.

_Idiot is challenging Tyr to a duel *on your behalf* come stop him!_

One of the Avengers then, and Loki was briefly annoyed that they had his phone number before everything was overtaken by a loud sense of alarm.

Tony. Tyr. A duel.

Loki still remembered his own duel against Tyr, long ago; how easily Tyr had defeated him. Admittedly he rather thought he had _wanted_ to lose, but that had no bearing on this-- or did it? Was Tony doing the same as he had, throwing himself into a battle he couldn't win, out of shame or guilt or grief?

It could even be a trap, but that only occurred to Loki after he had thrown himself through the phone network and emerged in the large room where Thor, Tyr, and the einherjar were.

He disregarded all of them and strode to Tony, forcing himself to restrain his strength for the rough shake he gave him. _What do you think you are_ doing _?_

(Well, disregarded was perhaps a strong word for how alert he remained, peripheral senses all primed and ready to react at the slightest move in his direction. But the einherjar, though they drew their swords, stayed back, waiting for a command.)

Tony gave some feeble explanation, and argued every time Loki tried to explain this was a terrible idea, and Loki could not _think_ ; he had to stop the duel but Tony was one of the more stubborn of his acquaintances when he felt he was right, and this--

He couldn't lose Tony too, not yet, he didn't think he could take it--

And then Thor was snarling, _Enough!_ and Loki jerked before he could stop himself. Thor went on, _I am your prince! And I declare it to be so: from this day, each of the races of the Nine Realms shall have equal standing in the eyes of the law, with all of the rights that entails, and none shall overturn this word._

Loki stared at him.

That would mean-- not just Midgardians, but _all_ the realms-- did Thor realize what he was saying? That the giants had the same standing as Asgardians - no one would ever accept that, Thor had to know-- Thor hated frost giants, what was he _thinking_?

 _Great,_ Tony said cheerfully, summoning his armor. _Shall we duel?_

Jerked from his confused thoughts, Loki turned back to Tony. Before he could speak, Tony looked at him - the armor forming over his head - and said firmly, _Trust me._

'I keep telling you people I know what I'm doing', Tony had said, and Loki realized belatedly what Tony must plan to do. Of course, it would count as a weapon. So long as Tony deployed it immediately and did not attempt to fight Tyr with merely his armor... it would probably be alright.

In truth, Loki had to admit, it would be well worth it to see the mighty Tyr brought so low. He backed away from Tony, leaving plenty of space for the duel and that vile weapon. Anticipation filled his smile. _{Emphasis:mild}, I do appreciate a good duel._

 _Very well,_ Tyr said coldly, drawing his sword. _Since you are so insistent, I will give you what you want._

Loki felt a chill run through him, though he kept smiling, refusing to show it. Tony had proved himself resourceful enough; time to stand back and have faith in him, for all that it did not come easily.

Thor gave the countdown for the duel, and then Tyr lunged forward... and Tony's armor moved out of the way. Oh, not entirely - the tip of Tyr's sword scraped the armor - but it was a faster reaction than Loki had seen from a Midgardian before. Then immediately after, Tyr collapsed, and Tony's armor fired both hand repulsors at his body, driving it partly into the floor.

Loki blinked. That had been swift indeed.

 _{Agreement},_ Tony said cheerfully. _Anyone else?_

Loki snickered to himself, even more so at the flabbergasted expressions on the einherjar. He made his satisfaction clear, then Thor attempted to gain his attention. Loki tensed, and said, _I will not go back to Asgard._

 _That was not..._ Thor sighed. _Never mind._

That was unusual. No self-righteous bluster, no insistence that Loki must listen? Loki felt strangely adrift for a moment, uncertain how to handle this version of Thor who seemed so weary. But there was a room full of einherjar and he had had enough of seeing that particular armor; the guards who once had served him as a prince, but these days only served to bring him to Odin in chains.

He gave Tony a meaningful look, then hid himself from their eyes so they would not see him manipulate his new phone. In a moment, he was on Tony's workshop level, the place that had become familiar and oddly soothing to him. It was a place where ordinary rules and constraints did not seem to apply.

When Tony arrived, Loki remembered belatedly to show himself. The sheer delight he felt was breathtaking. Not only had Tony utterly humiliated Tyr, he'd proven that a Midgardian could take on the most dangerous of Asgardians and survive; proven that the lesser races were underestimated; proven his own kingship and justified the lingering urges to fealty Loki was beginning to feel more and more often.

What's more, this came after Loki had brought a most unwelcome truth to Tony's attention. Not only had Tony not rejected him for it, Tony had duelled for his honor. And won.

Loki did not hesitate in going to his knees for Tony, where usually he preferred laying on the bed or even the sofa. Right now, Tony had earned this. He put all his attention and concentration into bringing Tony to climax, and then after several more kisses took them up to the level Tony's bedroom was on. They shared a shower, with Loki taking the opportunity to caress as much of Tony's skin as he could reach.

 _{Hesitation},_ Tony said, as Loki ushered him to the bed, _I'm not as young as I used to be, and if you're expecting a super-marathon or something then..._

 _Relax,_ Loki told him fondly. _You'll enjoy this._

A trace of Tony's humour appeared as he arranged himself on the bed with a slight smirk. _What is it I'm going to enjoy, exactly?_

 _I want you to talk,_ Loki said. He licked his lips, trailing his hand down Tony's chest to his hip. _I want you to tell me_ exactly _how it feels..._

 _Most people don't like it when I talk that much during sex,_ Tony said dryly, and Loki laughed.

_Roll over, I want to massage you._

Tony did so with a little noise of anticipation. Loki fetched some oil from the bedside drawers and set to work on Tony's shoulders.

 _Is that lube? Are you using lube as massage oil?_ Tony said, slightly muffled.

Loki dug his thumb into the muscle beneath it, prompting a low groan from Tony. _Is that a problem?_

_I guess not..._

_I thought not._ Loki leaned forward, adjusting his body so he would do no harm to Tony if he forgot himself in the height of pleasure. _Now, tell me how it feels._

_{Hesitation}. Good?_

Loki snorted, kneading at Tony's back. _You can do better than that._

_It's... satisfying. I can feel it kind of deep in my muscles, you know?_

_Better,_ Loki encouraged him. He kept kneading, working away at the little pieces of tension that were wrapped up within Tony's body.

 _This feels ridiculous,_ Tony told him.

Loki smiled to himself. _Oh, I think you'll find you like it soon enough._

Tony grumbled playfully, but soon enough Loki was massaging his buttocks, rubbing his thumb against more intimate places. Tony groaned, shifting to spread his legs a little more.

Loki bent close to his ear. _Tell me._

 _I can feel you're taking your damned time,_ Tony said, clearly trying to hide his embarrassment, and Loki smiled again.

_Describe it._

_I would have thought, with your hangups..._

Loki raised an eyebrow, not that Tony could see it. _Yes?_

 _Ohh,_ Tony said, catching on at last. The tips of his ears were pink. _It, {hesitation}, it feels... vulnerable. I can feel your... thumb? {Hesitation}, the pushing, it makes me want more..._

Tony's descriptions at first were clumsy, but he grew in confidence as he continued to speak. Loki rewarded him by going further, small thrusts of his index finger, making Tony's voice hitch and roughen. Then two fingers. Tony took the time to moan, spreading his legs further.

_And that stretch, it's like a-- like it burns, but in a really good way, there's a whole lotta nerve endings right there._

_Yes,_ Loki breathed, imagining it. What it would be like without fear or shame, if he could bring himself to give in. If he had been born different, not a warrior, but a proper mage-- But could he even say he'd been born a warrior? Odin had stolen him. He had no way of knowing if anything he'd been told about his place in the Norns' tapestry was true.

 _That movement, builds up a pressure... starts off kind of low but I know it's going to get more intense._ Tony gave a soft grunt. _That was a little sharp but I-- it's counterintuitive, you sort of push down to open up--_

Loki was breathing almost as hard as Tony was, for all that Tony was the one having his body awakened. Loki licked his lips and added a little more oil, a third finger. He was achingly hard. Tony was squirming slightly, little rocking movements of his hips.

 _{Profanity}, Loki,_ Tony said, his voice low and somewhat slurring. _Feel your fingers... opening me up... feel it tingle in my spine._

Loki could imagine. Had spent, in fact, a little too much time imagining it, for one such as he. But what had Tony said, that Chaos Gods by their very nature blurred boundaries? It was a dangerously appealing story.

 _Keep going,_ he insisted, hearing the raggedness of his own voice. And Tony did, describing how it felt to have Loki's fingers thrusting into him, how it felt to have them slowly withdraw, to have Loki grasp his hip and ease his cock inside.

 _Oh, {profanity}, that's full,_ Tony gasped, pressing back against Loki's body. _And the... when you move like that, feels-- kind of dragging feeling, then deep-- so good._

Loki revelled in the heat of Tony's body, the passion in Tony's voice. _This was an excellent idea._

Tony laughed a little, body shifting. _Even if you do say so yourself?_

 _Well, there's no point in false modesty,_ Loki said, and was rewarded by a louder laugh.

After a moment, Tony returned to his narration, speaking of the intensity of the feeling, its place deep in his gut. The things he was saying combined with the lustful rasp of his voice to make Loki's pleasure rise all too easily. Loki stopped with a groan, holding himself above Tony's body while he tried to calm himself.

 _Hey,_ Tony protested.

Loki breathed hard. _Shut up._

_I thought you wanted me to talk?_

Loki chuckled, bending to scrape his teeth lightly against the nape of Tony's neck. _I want you to tell me how it feels._

 _Well, right now it feels like someone's slacking on the job--_ Tony broke off with a sharp intake of breath as Loki pushed into him again. _{Acknowledgement}, that's good, I can work with that._

 _You like that?_ Loki murmured. _Being pinned down, helpless? Taken? As though--_

 _It's not--_ Tony started at the same time. He paused a moment then continued. _It's not being helpless. I mean, unless you like that kind of thing, it can totally be that-- but it doesn't have to be. If you were... wondering._

Loki found himself shuddering with desire and couldn't even pinpoint what aspect of Tony's words had caused it. He nipped lightly at Tony's shoulder to cover up that he didn't know what to say. His hands flexed against the mattress, tightening on the bedsheet.

 _I can move with you,_ Tony said, putting action to words. _Make that thrust nice and deep. Rock against you, like this._

Loki focused on his breathing, unsettled to discover that, yes, he wanted Tony pushing back against him, taking some control of their movement - but that he also wished Tony would describe being helpless. Wanting to submit. He wanted to hear... that.

 _Tell me,_ he said again, roughly.

 _Tell you how it feels to have your cock filling me up?_ Tony turned his head, casting a sideways look back in Loki's direction. _Thick, sliding into me, making me want - more, harder, faster..._

Loki muttered some careless profanity under his breath, doing his best to do as Tony urged. His skin prickled with sweat. It was all too easy to imagine a different arrangement between them, Loki laying in the sheets himself, feeling...

 _I'm so hard,_ Tony groaned, squirming under him again. _Full credit, I didn't think you were going to get me this turned on after coming once already. {Profanity}, Loki, how is this so good?_

 _Just wait,_ Loki purred, trailing his lips over Tony's shoulder. He adjusted his weight so he had a free hand to reach beneath Tony and grasp his cock. _And how does it feel now?_

Tony cursed hoarsely. _Just fuck me--_

Loki upped his speed, muscles straining as he fought off his own need for completion. He pumped Tony's cock in time with his thrusts, enjoying the way Tony's voice cracked as all of his composure fell away. And then he stopped.

He wasn't entirely sure of the full meaning of the insult Tony snarled at him, but he rather enjoyed the sound of it. And of the desperation in Tony's voice. Grinning to himself, Loki mouthed at Tony's shoulder again. _Is something wrong?_

 _Is something wrong,_ Tony repeated sarcastically. _I thought you were_ pleased _with me, you {profanity} sadist._

 _Oh, I am._ Loki started moving again, this time fast and intent. He was dangerously close to bliss. His breath came quick and urgent as he chased closer and closer to his pleasure. Tony was making the most delicious sounds of need. Loki grabbed at the sheet, almost tearing it as his orgasm ripped through him.

Tony moaned in protest as Loki slowed and stopped. Loki chuckled softly, warmth tingling in his very bones. He could afford to be generous. After a moment.

He rolled Tony over and took him in his mouth once more, drawing him in deep so that Tony was moaning for an entirely different reason. Loki hummed lightly, working his tongue against Tony's cock. He bobbed his head, sucking, enjoying the sounds that fell from Tony's mouth. It wasn't long before the spirit of mischief overtook Loki, and he raised his head with an innocent expression.

_You know, it occurs to me..._

Tony gave a frustrated exclamation and grabbed at Loki's hair, pulling it harshly. Loki sucked in a breath at the disrespect, an indecent thrill running through his body. Face burning, he lowered his head again and resumed his attentions. His skin felt strangely tight. Tony's hand was still fisted in his hair, tugging as Loki moved his head.

Was this why Tony liked it so much? It wasn't as if Loki had never had hands in his hair during sex before, but the _pulling_ \-- it should be humiliating. It made something unfamiliar burn low and heated in his gut.

He kept going, sucking intently until Tony babbled something nonsensical and came down his throat. Loki swallowed with only a slight grimace at the aftertaste. Tony's grip on his hair loosened and Loki carefully detached himself, crawling up the bed to lay down next to Tony.

He wasn't going to think on it right now. That was... that was something to contemplate later, in private. Or just deny it forever, he thought with some sense of irony.

Tony was panting, slowly regaining his composure. Loki put the issue from his mind; this had been a pleasant enough diversion, and shown suitable appreciation of Tony's defeat of Tyr. He lay content, Tony at his side.

#


End file.
